Barlow Close
Barlow Close was Tommy Barlow’s smallholding enclosed by a wire fence and metal gate entered from the Littleworth Road. Many’s the time you’d see Tommy driving his tractor along with his Dad perched on the back. Mrs Barlow (Tommy never married) rosy cheeked standing at her door of her cottage near Blenheim Lane wearing her flowery apron.
The Barlows lived in what is now 10 Littleworth Rd and farmed circa 10 acre opposite but further up Littleworth Road on land on which Barlow Close was built. This land was owned by the Executors of Kelly and occupied by the Rose brothers in 1910.
Map extract from 1979 shows Barlow Close before the houses were built, but probably earlier as permission were granted in 1972/3, as shown in the images extracted from the Planning register - the development date is presumed to be 1974, although the OS map shows it un-developed. The west part was developed piecemeal at about the same time as permissions are for single houses in this area - the area for these were previously the large garden of a house fronting Littleworthj Road, which came up for sale and re-development following the death of the owner of this. A total of 39 houses appear to have been built.
For photo of Tommy Barlow, see record 2751. For photo of Tommy Barlow in the 1934 football team and 1937 cricket teams see records 1896 and 0654 and 1740